Fastening-inserting machine.



W. T. B ROBERTS. FASTENING INSERTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16. 1916- Patented Dec. 11,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

w. T. B ROBERTS. FASTENING m'semma MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15. ISIG. 1151?? HI-1:3 W Y Patented Dec. 11,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Ii 12 M q tlrttrrniu Err-tenths nucitrn'srrain nonnnrs, or nnlcnsrnn,ENGLAND, ASSIG-NOR To 'unrrnn srron :trncnnvnntr ooiuran'r', orrn'rnnsolv, NEW JERSEY, A cortisone JLlZON OLE NEW JERSEY.

'lEAS'll'EN LthlGr-IIDTSERTING MACHINE.

specification of Letters Patent;

Patented Dec. 11, 191 7.

application filed March 16, 1916. serial No. 84,614.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knoivn that l, l l irmaiu l. l3. ltorn nnrs, a subject of the King011: England, residing at Leicester, Leicestershire, England, haveinvented certain improvements in has tening-lnserting ll lachines, ofwhich the tollowing description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawingsindicating like parts in the sevenl figures.

The present invention relates to machines tor iitiserting "l asteninpgsand is herein illustrated as embodied in a fastening inserting; machineintended especially for use in the manufacture of boots and shoes.

Considered broadly, machines for inserting tastenings in boots and shoesmay be divided. into two classes, namely, machines which are adapted tohandle previously termed l astenings and insert them into the "Work andmachines Which term. the fastenings from a length or strip of continuousmaterial such as Wire and then insert them into the Work. Both types ofmachines are usually constructed to deal With fasteninp's of more thanone length or size and are provided with means whereby in a given casetasteninp s oi? the desired character may be selected according to thenature oi? the work.

ll h le these machines ordinarily have provision for adjusting thefastening driv .ing mechanism to give a blow of definite force, thisinitial adjustment usually ma do sul'liciont to insert the longest orlargest fastening with Which the machine capable of dealing, otherwisethe operator vvould be required continually to interrupt his worlrandstop the machine to malre further adjustments when inserting 'lastenings olt diilereut character. In consequence, the unnecessary forceexerted by the driving mechanism when inserting all but the longest orlargest lit tenings results in excessive vibration and wear of themachine and improper insertion of the itasteninggs in the work. Attemptshave been made to regulate the force of the blow of the fastening driverby elevating the driver varying; amounts, thus varying the length oi theoperative stroke of the driver with a view to regulating the power ofthe driving blow by initia ting thedriving stroke at one point oranother according to the nature of the Work. It has also been at temptedto vary the force of the driver blon by an adjustable stop or buffer toregulate the point in the driving stroke at Which the driver isarrested.

The general object oi. the present inventron 1s to provide an improvedfastening insorting machine capable of inserting fasten mgs havingdirferent characteristics accord ing to the nature of the Work, which,While retaining all the advantages of fastening inserting machines asheretofore constituted, Will be so constructed that unnecessaryvibration and consequent Wear and tear off the machine will be reducedto a minimum.

A further important object of the invention is to provide in a fasteninginserting machine mechanism organized so that an adjustment or]? anoperative movement of the machine, such, for example, as an adjust mentoi the fastening supplying mechanism to vary the character of fasteningsupplied, Will also and preferably correspondingly vary the power of theblow of the fastening driver to adapt the machine properly to ditterentcharacteristics of the Work operated upon, such as the Work thickness.

In accordance With these objects of the invention the fasteninginserting machine herein shown and described as illustrating a preferredembodiment of the invention includes novel means for controlling;- theenergy imparted to the driver in accordance with the character of thefastening tobe inserted. As shown, the construction is such that thelimit of operative throw of the driving mechanism is constant regardlessof the amount of energy imparted to the driving mechanism.

These and other objects and features ot the invention will be apparentfrom the tol lowing detailed description read in connection with theaccompanying drawings, and the various novel features of the inventionare set forth in the appended claims.

Although the invention is herein described and claimed with particularreference to its applicability to fastening inserting machines of thetype set forth in United States Letters Patent No. 591,658, granted Oct.1:, 1897, to Fl. Robinson, it is contemplated that the invention as ahole or features ating movement.

thereof may have other and different uses including use infasteninginserting machines of other types. it is also co templated thatvarious changes in the illusrated mechanism may be ma e withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, theinvention is .not necessarily limited to an en'ioodiment comprising twosprings, as above described, since other and equivalent spring means mayobviously be used. It is also contemplated that the above describedmechanism may be advantageously and readily incorporated in a machineadapted to insert previously formed fastei l of various characters or legths, and particularly a machine for inserting previously formedfastenings of the type in which the fastening selection is controlled bywork calipering mechanism.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of the upper part of amachine having the present invention incorporated therein; and

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the head of the machine.

The illustrated machine is of the type adapted to sever a length offastening from a coil of wire and insert it into th work. The coil ofwire 2 is mounted on a bracket attached to the machine frame and thewire is led between the cooperating feed rolls l and 6 which areoperated through a connection with the main shaft to feed intermittentlythe proper length of fastening to be inserted into the work. The feedwheels a and 6 are rotated through a pawl 8 which engages a ratchetwheel 10 carried on the shaft 12 upon wl ich the feed wheel is mounted.In order that the length of the fastenings may be varied in accordancewith the character of the work a shield 1% is interposed between thefeed wheel and the pawl 8 in such a manner that the pawl is preventedfrom engaging the ratchet wheel during predetermined portions of itsoper- The shield 1st is adapted to be moved to different positions ofadjustment to vary the amount of rotation imparted to the feed wheels bythe pawl through a hand lever 16.

The fastening inserting or driving mechanism comprises a driver bar 18mounted to reciprocate vertically in guideways 20 of the machine frameand having clamped to its lower end a driver 28. At its upper end thedriver bar 18 is provided witl an adjustable stop 30 which limits thethrow or movement of the driver in driving direction. The driver bar '18is raised into its operative po sition by a cam 32 mounted on the mainshaft 3-1 of the machine. This cam, which is conveniently the same asthat shown in said above mentioned patent, is adapted to engage aprojecting lug 36 secured to the driver bar 18 to raise the bar into anoperative position and thereafter to clear the lug and allow the driverto descend to a uniform or fixed position. The means for impartingdriving energy to the driver is herein shown as coinprising two coiledtorsion springs 38 and lo surrounding the shaft -12 end to end the shafthaving a bearing in a bracket on the machine frame. The forward end ofthe spring 38 is secured to the hub ll of tl e driver bar actuating arm4:6 pivoted on the sha ft l2 and has its outer end bearing on the driverbar through a connecting link lS. The rear or outer end of the spring 40is secured to a collar 19 mounted on the shaft said collar beingadjustable by the set nut 50 to vary the initial tension of the springsrelatively to the driver bar.

Tn accordance with the present invention the rate of travel of thedriver in driving direction is automatically varied without effectingthe length of the driving stroke. In the illustrated cmbodin'icut thisis accomplished by varying the length of driver spring put under tensionby the movement of the driver into operative position. shown., the handlever 16 is provided with an upwardly projecting arm 52 the upper end ofwhich presents a curved surface haw ing ratchet teeth 54-. Positionedabove the arm 52 is a vertically disposed plunger 5:) slidably mountedin a hearing so projecting from the machine frame and having its lowerbeveled end in engagement with the ratchet teeth 5% on the arm.

The upper end of the plunger 3.3 is counected by a link 58 to a ring 0which is recessed on one side (see Fig. 1) to receive second rin member62 l djustably secured to the ring (30 by the set bolts oil passingthrough slots 65 in the member (3:2. The ring member 62 is provided withan inwardly projecting stop lnterposed between the iii-- ner ends of thesprings 38 and h) is a colla. 68 loosely mounted on the shaft l2 andhaving slots provided in the hub of the collar to receive the adjacentends 70 and 72 of the respective springs whereby relative rotarymovement between the collar and the springs is prevented. The collar hasmounted for rotary movement thereon the ring member 60 and is providedwith an abutment 'H- which is adapted to engage the cooperating stop 66of the ring member me when rotary movement is imparted to the springs 38and a0 and the collar (38 as the driver bar is raised by the cam 32 intooperative position. A spring 76 connected at one end to the link 58 andat the other end to the machine frame tends normally to maintain theplunger in engagement with the ratchet teeth.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The hand lever 16 is firstraised or lowered to determine the length of wire to be fed by the feedwheels in accordance with ltl abutment 7d of the rotatable collar.

till

nsaaevi the character of the'ivorlr to be operated upon. lit the machineis to lform and insert the shortest length of fastening which can beinserted by the machine the handle 16 will be raised thus allowing theplunger 55 to drop under the influence of the spring 76 and causing thering 6:2 to be rotated a predetermined distance. Upon the starting ofthe machine the cam engages the lug on the driver bar and raises thedriver against the tension of the springs 38 and ll which are therebyrotated together with the collar 68., dines the shortest fastening is tobe there fore inserted in the Work only the minimum amount of drivingforce is necessary so the stop is not necessarily in position to beengaged by the abutment 74: of the collar as it is rotated and thereforeallows substantially the entire lengths of both springs to be wound upor become operative preliminarily to imparting driving energy to thedriver.

mi lion the character of the work is such that a longer fastening is tobe inserted the hand lever 16 is lowered to bring a higher part oi thearm 52 beneath the plunger thus raising it and causing the ring member62 to revolve and position the stop nearer the As the driver is thenlifted by the cam 32 the abutment T l engages the stop 66 of: the ring62 after a certain amount of rotation and tension is applied to bothsprings, the amount depending upon the position oi the stop and thelength of fastening to be inserted. lhereatter the rotation andconsequent tension applied to the springs is confined to the spring 38as the spring is rendered ineftective thus a greater driving energy willbe imparted to the driver. When the ma chine is to insert the longestfastening of which the machine is adapted to handle the step will bemoved into direct engagement with the abutment by the raising of thephinger before the machine is started in which event the tension isapplied wholly to the single spring 38. thus giving the maximum force ofblow to the driver.

lit will be noted that the driver has a constant limit of throw inoperative direction or, in other words, has a fixed position into whichit is moved under the influence of the spring or s n-ings regardless ofthe amount of energy it is desired to impart to the driver.

Having thus described my invention what l claim as new and desire tosecure by Let-- ters Patent of the United States is 1. In a machine forinserting tastenings, a fastening inserting driver having a constantlimit of driving movement, means for imparting driving movement to thedriver, means or adjustably controlling an operatire movement of themachine, and connectic between said controlling means and the driveroperating means constructed and or ranged to cause an adjustment oi saidcontrolling means to vary the rate of driving movement ot the driver.

2. In a machine for inserting tastenings, a tz'is'tening insertingdriver having a constant limit of throw in driving direction, mechanismfor operating said driver comprising means to impart driving energy tothe driver, and means for adjustably controlling an operative movementof the machine constructed and arranged to regulate also the drivingenergy imparted to the driver by its operating means.

3. In a macliine for inserting tastenings, a fastening inserting driver,means for actuatin said driver, means .tor varying the rate of travel ofsaid driver in driving direction without attecting the length of thedriver stroke, and means for adjustably regulating an operative movementof the machine con structed and arranged to control. also said means torvarying the rate of travel or" the driver.

41-. lln a machine for inserting iastenings, a fastening insertin driverhaving a constant limit of throw in driving direction, spring operatedmeans for actuating said driver in driving direction, means forregulating the etl ective strength of said spring operated means,adjusting means for controlling an operative movement of the machine,and connections :trom said last-named means to said spring operatedmeans constructed and aranged to regulate the effective strength of. thespring operated means.

5. in a machine for inserting tastenings, a fastening inserting driverhaving a predetermined limit of throw in driving direction, means foractuating said driver, fastening supplying mechanism, means foradjustably I controlling the length of fastenings supplied by thetastenin supplying mechanism, and connections between said controllingmeans and the driver actuating means constructed and arranged to controlvariably 1.1

the operation of the driver actuating means.

6. In a machine for inserting i astenings, a "fastening inserting driverhaving a predetermined limit oi throw in driving direction, means for atuating said driver, Wire feeding means, and means for adjustalfilycontrollin said wire feeding means to vary the length of tasteningssupplied by the fastening supplying mechanism constructed and arrangedto vary also the operation of the driver actuatingmeans.

7. i: machine for inserting tastenin 's comprising a reciprocatingfastening inserting driver having a predetermined throw in drivingdirection, means for effecting a reverse movement of said driver, springmeans arranged to cause movement of said driver in driving direction,and means for determining the character of fastening to be inserted bysaid driver constructed and an Eat nzaae'za ranged to vary also theinfluence of said spring on said driver in accordance with the characterof fastening supplied.

8. A machine for inserting fastenings comprising a fastening insertingdriver, spring means for imparting energy to said driver during itsdriving movement, and means operatively connected with said spring meansto render a predetermined part of the spring means inoperative wherebythe forceimparted to the driver may be varied.

9. A machine for inserting fastenings comprising a reciprocatingfastening inserting driver having a predetermined throw in drivingdirection, spring operated means for imparting energy to said driverduring its driving movement, and means adjustably controlling anoperative movement of the machine constructed and arranged to render apart of said spring means ineffective upon movement of the adjustingmeans whereby the power of the blow imparted to the driver may bevaried.

10. A machine for inserting fastenings comprising a reciprocatingfastening inserting driver having a predetermined throw in drivingdirection, means for moving said driver into operative position, springmeans adapted to impart energy to said driver for its driving movementand controlling means for said spring means constructed and arranged toutilize a predetermined portion of said last-named means to adapt themachine to a. characteristic of the work.

11. A fastening inserting machine comprising, in combination, fasteningsupplying means, a fastening inserting driver having a constant throw indriving direction, selective mechanism for determining the character offastening supplied by said means, driver actuating means, and meansoperated by said fastening selecting mechanism to control said driveractuating means to vary the force of the blow of said driver inaccordance with the character of fastening selected.

1:2. A fastening inserting machine comprising, in combination, fasteningsupplying means, a fastening inserting driver, mechanism for determiningthe character of fastening supplied by said means, driver actuatingmeans, and means operated by said fastening selecting mechanism to varythe rate of travel of the driver in accordance with the character offastening selected without affecting the length of the driver stroke.

13. A fastening inserting machine com prising, in combination, fasteningsupply ing means, a reciprocating fastening inserting driver, mechanismfor determining the character of fastening supplied by said means,spring operated means constructed and arranged to impart energy to thedriver for its driving movement, and means controlled by said fasteningselecting mechanism for regulating the driving energy imparted to thedriver by said spring means in accordance with the character offastening selected.

1%. A fastening inserting machine comprising, in combination, fasteningsupplying means, fastening inserting driver, mechanism for determiningthe character of fastening to be supplied by said means, spring meansadapted to impart energy to the driver during its driving movement, andmeans operated by said fastening selecting means for rendering a portionof said spring means inoperative as said mechanism is operated to selectthe proper character of fastening in accordance with the requirements ofthe work.

1.5. A fastening inserting machine comprising, in combination, wirefeeding mechanism, fastening inserting driver, means for impartingenergy to said driver during its driving movement, means for varying thelength of wire to be fed by said wire feeding mechanism, and meansoperated by said last named means for correspondingly regulating thedriving energy imparted to said driver.

16. A fastening inserting machine comprising, in combination, fasteningsupplying means, a fastening inserting driver, mechanism for determiningthe character of fastening to be supplied by said means, means forimparting energy to said driver during its driving movement, and meanscontrolled by said fastening selecting means for regulating the drivingenergy imparted to said driver.

17. A fastening inserting machine comprising, in combination, wirefeeding mechanism, manual means for varying the length of wire to be fedby said wire feeding mecha nism, a reciprocating fastening insertingdriver, spring means for imparting energy to said driver during itsdriving movement, means for regulating said spring means to control thedriving energy imparted to said driver, and connections between saiddriver spring regulating means and said manual means constructed andarranged to operate. said regulating means upon movement of said manualmeans.

18. A fastening inserting machine com prising, in combination, wirefeeding mechanism, manual means for varying the length of wire to be fedby said wire feeding mechanism, a reciprocating fastening insertingdriver, spring operated means for imparting energy to said driver duringits driving movement, means constructed and arranged to render apredetermined portion of said spring ineffective, and connectionsbetween said manual means and said last mentioned means for determiningthe portion of said lltl Tilt) meager/r spring to be renderedineffective according to the length of wire to be fed by the wirefeeding mechanism.

19. In a fastening inserting machine, in

combination, a. reciprocating fastening inserting driver, torsionspringineans having a part secured to said driver and another partrigidly held, an adjustable member attached to said spring means betweensaid parts and having an abutment, power operating means for raisingsaid driver against the influence of said spring means, and means forengaging said abutment during upward movement of the driver to renderpart of the spring means inoperative to vary the force of the blow ofthe driver.

20. A fastening inserting machine having in combination, wire feedingmechanism, manually operated means for varying the length of wire to befed by said wire feeding mechanism, a reciprocating fastening insertingdriver, a torsion spring device having one part secured to said driverand another part rigidly held, an adjustable mem ber attached to sandspring device between said parts and having an abutment, power operatedmeans for raising said driver against the influence of said springdevice, and connections between said member and said manual meansconstructed and an 'anged to engage said abutment during upward movementof the driver and thereby render a part of said spring deviceinoperative to vary the energy imparted to the driver according to thelength of wire to be inserted.

21. A machine for inserting fastenings comprising a reciprocatingfastening inserting driver, means for moving said driver in onedirection, a spring device arranged to cause movement of said driver indriving direction, and means co-acting with said spring deviceconstructed and arranged to energize the entire device during a part ofthe movement of the driver in said firstnamed direction and thereafterto energize a portion of the spring only.

22. A machine for inserting fastenings comprising a reciprocatingfastening inserting driver, a spring device arranged to causeIHOVGlIlGlli] of said driver in driving direction, means for effecting areturn movement of the driver, and means co-acting with said springdevice constructed and arranged to apply energy to the entire deviceduring a part of the return movement of the driver and thereafter mainlyor wholly to a portion of the spring device only.

23. it. machine for inserting fastenings com in'ising areciprocatingfastening inserting driver, means for elevating said driver, springmeans arranged to cause movement of said driver in driving direction,and means enacting with said spring means eonstructed and arranged toapply energy to the spring means during upward movement of the driver,said means operating automatically to cause energy to be applieduniformly to the spring means as a whole or wholly or mainly to a partof the spring means only.

2%. ln a fastening inserting machine, in combination, a reciprocatingfastening inserting driver, a spring device arranged to cause n1 veinentof said driver in driving direction and having an, abutment, means formoving said driver reversely against the in fluence of the springdevice, and a cooperatin g abutment constructed and arranged for freepositioning movement in the path of said first abutment whereby thetravel. of said first alnitment during reverse movement of the drivervariably limited by said second abutment in testimony whereof ll havesigned my name to this specification.

Wlllilhldill Wllltllllriti llUUlillldHfilil ROBERTS.

topics oi. this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the "commissioner of Patents, Washington, Ill. til.

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